It was another reminder to a Villa manager that, yes, Kozak has recovered from a broken leg and, yes, he is fit and raring to go.

For some reason, despite an encouraging pre-season, Kozak has been largely overlooked by, firstly, Tim Sherwood and then Remi Garde when it comes to first team action.

With the exception of a cameo from the bench in the Capital One Cup victory over Notts County and unused substitute status for the Premier League matches against Manchester United and Sunderland, Kozak has been conspicuous by his absence so far this season.

Okay, so players returning from long term injuries have to be eased back, but Kozak’s continued exile is ridiculous, especially since Villa are hardly blessed with goalscorers right now.

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Remi Garde hinted before the loan window closed last week that the Birmingham City target could still have a part to play in Villa’s survival mission.

Well, what are you waiting for Remi? Unless there is a secret reason for his absence that nobody is telling us about then this weekend’s trip to Southampton is as good a time as any to recall him to the squad.

Arguably, Kozak’s best moment in a Villa shirt arrived at St Mary’s Stadium two years ago when he scored a vital goal as Paul Lambert’s team pulled off a remarkable 3-2 smash and grab victory.

That evening his signature chant ‘Lib-or, Lib-or, Lib-or, Lib-or, Lib-or, Lib-or, Lib-or Kozak (to the tune of 2Unlimited’s No Limit) was belted out with more gusto than before or since.

Back then he was being mooted as a potential replacement for Christian Benteke - indeed he started that game instead of the Belgian - and four goals in nine starts and seven substitute appearances suggested he would be a decent understudy before he broke his leg on the Bodymoor Heath practice pitches at the start of 2014.

So, if he was regarded as an able deputy to Villa’s best striker for years in a much milder winter for the club in 2013, then why can’t he even make the bench for a team now at rock bottom and averaging less than a goal a game?

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Aston Villa's sorry state

It is often the case that players left out for long periods tend to be invested with super human qualities in their absence.

We tend to remember them as world beaters and dream of what they could be rather than what they were.

It is very much football’s version of the grass being greener on the other side.

In our minds Kozak probably gets better with every game he doesn’t play for Villa’s first team, but that is because he can’t be much worse than the players currently blocking his path.

Jordan Ayew can probably be excused from that criticism after showing flashes of goal-getting potential, but Rudy Gestede and Scott Sinclair’s early season purple patches have turned distinctly grey, while Gabby Agbonlahor has been blessed with neither form nor fitness in the current campaign.

In Kozak’s case, even if he is not quite the saviour the claret and blue fanbase hope he can be, surely he finally deserves a chance.